Sass and Bide
Encyclopedia
sass & bide is one of Australia
's most prominent international and contemporary street- and pop culture-inspired women’s fashion labels. The label is known best as being worn by Sex And The City
lead actress, Sarah Jessica Parker
and, in more recent times, Madonna
and Beyonce.
's Portobello Road Market. Motivated by a love of vintage clothing and markets, Clarke and Middleton claim that they commenced modifing jeans purchased from retial outlets, and cutting to meet their own tastes in fashion.
Clarke (sass) and Middleton (bide) first met in 1992, whilst in secondary school in Brisbane, Queensland
. They followed different paths; Clarke studying to be an accountant, while Middleton studied at the Queensland College of Art and Griffith University
, prior to becoming an art director. However, they reunited and together went to London in the late 1990s.
in 2001. Subsequent collections were shown at London Fashion Week
in 2002; New York Fashion Week
, commencing in 2003 for eight consecutive seasons, prior to withdrawing in 2009, due to the birth of Clarke's third child. They have shown in London, since 2009.
In a fortunate coincidence in 2002, Clarke and Middleton were in New York where Sarah Jessica Parker was filming a scene for Sex in the City. Clarke was wearing a self-syled denim jacket and took if off and handed it to a security guard, who in turn gave it to Parker. The next day, Clarke and Middleton were invited to Parker's trailer to show their designs. Parker later commissioned Clarke and Middleton to make a few one-off pieces for Sex and the City. Through this publicity, the label propelled growth for the brand in the international marketplace.
Young Rich List in 2006 with a combined wealth assessed at A$
30m Clarke and Middleton have appeared on every subsequent Young Rich List, with their most recent combined wealth estimated as A$36m in 2009. In 2003, Clarke and Middleton sold 50% of sass & bide to past owners of the Mimco accessories chain, Daniel Besen and David Briskin, with Briskin taking up the role as chief executive. Clarke and Middleton retained design control of the label. A little over a year later, in early 2011, up-market Australian department store
chain, Myer
purchased a 65% stake in the label for A$42.25m.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
's most prominent international and contemporary street- and pop culture-inspired women’s fashion labels. The label is known best as being worn by Sex And The City
Sex and the City
Sex and the City is an American television comedy-drama series created by Darren Star and produced by HBO. Broadcast from 1998 until 2004, the original run of the show had a total of ninety-four episodes...
lead actress, Sarah Jessica Parker
Sarah Jessica Parker
Sarah Jessica Parker is an American film, television, and theater actress and producer.She is best known for her leading role as Carrie Bradshaw on the HBO television series Sex and the City , for which she won four Golden Globe Awards, three Screen Actors Guild Awards, and two Emmy Awards...
and, in more recent times, Madonna
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
and Beyonce.
History
The label was founded in the late 1990s by Heidi Middleton and Sarah-Jane Clarke when they commenced selling customised jeans in a stall on LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
's Portobello Road Market. Motivated by a love of vintage clothing and markets, Clarke and Middleton claim that they commenced modifing jeans purchased from retial outlets, and cutting to meet their own tastes in fashion.
Clarke (sass) and Middleton (bide) first met in 1992, whilst in secondary school in Brisbane, Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
. They followed different paths; Clarke studying to be an accountant, while Middleton studied at the Queensland College of Art and Griffith University
Griffith University
Griffith University is a public, coeducational, research university located in the southeastern region of the Australian state of Queensland. The university has five satellite campuses located in the Gold Coast, Logan City and in the Brisbane suburbs of Mount Gravatt, Nathan and South Bank. Current...
, prior to becoming an art director. However, they reunited and together went to London in the late 1990s.
Fashion shows and growth
After their initial success in the markets, Clarke and Middleton returned to Australia in 1999, based in Sydney, they developed an underground following that led to their first seasonal collection at Mercedes Australian Fashion WeekAustralian Fashion Week
Australian Fashion Week is an annual fashion industry event showcasing the latest seasonal collections from Australian and Asia Pacific Designers...
in 2001. Subsequent collections were shown at London Fashion Week
London Fashion Week
London Fashion Week is an apparel trade show held in London, England twice each year, in February and September. It is one of the "Big Four" fashion weeks, along with New York Fashion Week, Milan Fashion Week and Paris Fashion Week.-Organization:...
in 2002; New York Fashion Week
New York Fashion Week
The semi-annual New York Fashion Week, branded Mercedes-Benz FashionWeek in 2009, is held in February and September of each year in New York City. It is one of four major fashion weeks held around the world .-History:The first New York Fashion Week, then called Press Week, was the world's first...
, commencing in 2003 for eight consecutive seasons, prior to withdrawing in 2009, due to the birth of Clarke's third child. They have shown in London, since 2009.
In a fortunate coincidence in 2002, Clarke and Middleton were in New York where Sarah Jessica Parker was filming a scene for Sex in the City. Clarke was wearing a self-syled denim jacket and took if off and handed it to a security guard, who in turn gave it to Parker. The next day, Clarke and Middleton were invited to Parker's trailer to show their designs. Parker later commissioned Clarke and Middleton to make a few one-off pieces for Sex and the City. Through this publicity, the label propelled growth for the brand in the international marketplace.
Wealth and partial sale of business
First appearing on the BRWBusiness Review Weekly
BRW is an Australian weekly business magazine published by the Fairfax Media group. It regularly compiles lists which rank corporations and individuals according to various criteria, similar to Fortune magazine in the United States.BRW provides news and commentary on the economy, business and...
Young Rich List in 2006 with a combined wealth assessed at A$
Australian dollar
The Australian dollar is the currency of the Commonwealth of Australia, including Christmas Island, Cocos Islands, and Norfolk Island, as well as the independent Pacific Island states of Kiribati, Nauru and Tuvalu...
30m Clarke and Middleton have appeared on every subsequent Young Rich List, with their most recent combined wealth estimated as A$36m in 2009. In 2003, Clarke and Middleton sold 50% of sass & bide to past owners of the Mimco accessories chain, Daniel Besen and David Briskin, with Briskin taking up the role as chief executive. Clarke and Middleton retained design control of the label. A little over a year later, in early 2011, up-market Australian department store
Department store
A department store is a retail establishment which satisfies a wide range of the consumer's personal and residential durable goods product needs; and at the same time offering the consumer a choice of multiple merchandise lines, at variable price points, in all product categories...
chain, Myer
Myer
Myer is Australia's largest department store chain, retailing a broad range of merchandise including women's, men's and children's clothing, footwear and accessories; cosmetics and fragrance; homewares; electrical; furniture and bedding; toys; books and stationery; food and confectionery; and...
purchased a 65% stake in the label for A$42.25m.